Last night on earth
by Caffeine-Faerie
Summary: Songfic, Booth witnesses how the fallout from his break-up with Hannah has affected the Jeffersonian, and Brennan in particular. Was a oneshot, now expanded.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I've been revisiting my U2 albums, and my latest earworm demanded to become a songfic. My muse complied, and while I'm not entirely satisfied with it, this little piece of drabble is now out of my system and I can get on with finishing the next chapter of The Lady Protector. Warnings for slight OOC, but given the circumstances, I'm sure that can be forgiven. Also, speculation on references made to DB & ED's discussion at CC about whether Brennan would be able to take down Hannah in a fight...**

**I own nothing. But reviews would be nice...**

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_She's living next week now.__  
__You know she's gonna pay you back somehow.__  
__She hasn't been to bed in a week__  
__She'll be dead soon, then she'll sleep._

_You gotta give it away_

_She already knows it hurts__  
__She's living like it the last night on earth__  
__The last night on earth._

_U2 - Last Night on Earth_

Booth sat on the couch overlooking the Jeffersonian platform and watched the work unfold below him. He ran a hand over his tired face and sunk farther back into the sofa, sighing. It had been a hard week. His break-up with Hannah had gone better than expected – _all things considered_ – but he hadn't managed to tell _her_ yet. Bones had refused to talk to him, and this case was such that she was needed more in the lab than in the field. Cam walked up to him with a sympathetic smile and handed over the extra cup of coffee she was carrying and sat down to watch the action on the floor. The pair met Angela's gaze, and she gave them a concerned look as she shifted her attention back to Brennan.

"How is she?"

"She hasn't slept in days, and refuses to go home. I'm considering getting security to forcibly remove her from the platform."

"But you won't."

"No." Cam sighed, watching Brennan carefully. "I know where she is here."

Booth felt is stomach twist. "As opposed to her being somewhere else."

"I don't trust her to come back if I send her home."

Booth blinked. "Why?"

"Seeley." Cam gave him a measured look.

"Camille," Booth wondered why everybody seemed to be so antsy around him.

"Brennan had a visitor the other day." Cam watched him for signs of awareness. Booth simply frowned, but didn't say anything, waiting for her to continue. She raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, I'll bite. What does it have to do with me?"

"Hannah came to say good-bye."

The twisting in his stomach turned into a hard knot. _That's_ why the break-up had appeared so amicable. Still, he'd never pegged Hannah to be that type of girl. He really didn't want to know the answer, but he could guess.

"Do I really want to know?"

Cam's expression turned sympathetic. "No, you probably don't. Besides," she motioned to the floor, "you're witnessing the fallout."

"Hannah took it out on Bones?"

"You sound surprised."

"I am. I was under the impression our break up was mutual."

"Booth, I hate to break it to you, but there's been a war going on that you've been oblivious to for months now."

Booth opened and closed his mouth a few times. He wasn't quite sure what to say to that. Finding the words, and hoping they were the right ones, he almost whispered, "who won?"

Cam smiled. "Dr Brennan, of course."

He stared at Brennan in shock. "And _this_ is the how she handles it? By ignoring me and trying to work herself to death?"

"Seeley," Cam turned Booth's shoulders so that his attention was on her, and not the woman on the platform. "She feels mortified, and granted the respect for her has increased a hundredfold in the last 4 days, the only way left she has to escape lies in her work."

"What the hell happened?"

"If you ask Angela nicely, she'll show you the security footage, but only after you manage to talk Brennan off the ledge."

"Cam, what happened?" His tone brooked no argument.

Cam sighed, she didn't want to be the one divulging this information. "Brennan admitted she loves you. And that she had hurt you, and that you had hurt her, badly, by coming back with Hannah. In essence, she saw that as a type of abandonment. Hannah said something fairly insensitive at that point and had her nose broken for her efforts."

Booth choked. "Wow." With wide eyes, he returned to the scene below him. It explained why there were still so many people working so late in the evening.

"And now she's working like she's going to drop dead at any point, and wants to get as much done as possible before her body gives out."

The clattering of a metal object falling on the platform silenced the lab. Brennan's eyes were glued to the instrument she'd just dropped on the floor. Slowly, her eyes moved up to meet Angela's, and after a few moments, Brennan nodded to Wendell and Arastoo and left the platform. Booth saw Hodgins' stay his wife with a warning hand on her arm, and looked at Cam who was watching him intently.

"Take her home Seeley. God knows you're the only person who is going to be able to." She pushed him to stand.

"Thanks Cam." Steeling himself, he made his was to Brennan's office, all the while feeling the squint's stares on him.

Booth stood in her doorway quietly. He noted that she hadn't closed her office door. His eyes fell upon the woman sitting on the couch, head in hands and shoulders slumped in defeat. He realised that she was waiting for somebody – probably Angela – to find her. Praying to the saints, Booth moved to sit next to her. He felt her stiffen as she realised who her company was.

"Oh Bones," he sighed. "Let's get you home."

"No." She hadn't moved.

"You're going to kill yourself if you carry on at this pace." He noticed her shoulders were shaking. She couldn't possibly be crying. Could she?"

"It doesn't matter anymore."

"Why not?"

The look she gave him, tears running down her cheeks, dark bruising under her bloodshot eyes, was so full of hopelessness that Booth found himself taking a few mental steps back. If Bones had 'won', what did Hannah say to provoke this kind of reaction? It didn't take much longer to find out.

"Because I missed my chance. And I've changed. I can't go back to what I was. There's no way forward as things currently stand." Brennan closed her eyes as her whole frame sagged. "I'm just so tired of pretending."

Booth knew that they shouldn't be having this conversation with Bones in such a fragile state, she needed rest, food, and security, and then they could talk. Vaguely, in some corner of his mind, he realised that he wasn't in really in the mindset to be talking about _this_ now either.

Booth stood, and gently took Brennan's hands to make her stand. She looked confused briefly, as he collected her bag and coat, and manoeuvred her towards the door. When Brennan realised what he was doing she stopped, offering a surprising amount of resistance for somebody so tired.

"I'm not going home."

"You need to sleep, Bones."

"I can sleep here."

"Why not at your apartment?"

"I don't want to be left alone." She dropped her eyes as she whispered her last admission.

"I never left you, Bones. You're not alone, and I'll sleep on your couch. You won't be left in an empty apartment."

Brennan considered this for a moment and nodded.

"Can I take you home now?"

"Please, Booth."

He put his hand in the small of her back, and walked her through the main doors. As he did so, Booth looked back at the lab. All eyes were on them, the relief was palpable. Maybe, just maybe, things would be okay.

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**Hmmm... it will suffice. Still, what do you think? Anybody?**

**xox ~CF**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you to my many, many reviewers. The overwhelming majority clambered for more, and my Muse had obliged. This will be a four-part story, of which part two holds a cryptic phone call and a broody Booth. We'll get to the argument and the video... in part three.**

**Enjoy, I hope this satisfies everybody until my next offering. Let me know what you think.**

**I own nothing.**

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_Have you ever had the odds stacked up so high__  
__You need a strength most don't possess__  
__Or has it ever come down to do or die__  
__You've got to rise above the rest__  
_

_No? Well..._

_I've never had to knock on wood__  
__But I know someone who has__  
__Which makes me wonder if I could__  
__It makes me wonder if__  
__I've never had to knock on wood__  
__And I'm glad I haven't yet__  
__Because I'm sure it isn't good__  
__That's the impression that I get_

_The Impression that I get – The Mighty Mighty Bosstones._

Booth sank into the chair, exhausted. The drive to Brennan's apartment had been silent, and she had made herself ready for bed without prompting. Booth had sat on the edge of her bed, offering quiet company as she drifted off to sleep. After making sure Brennan was comfortable, Booth had ordered himself pizza. Her kitchen was bare, and her apartment felt unused. It was almost as if she'd been avoiding being home alone for an undetermined but significant period of time. Booth had a sneaking suspicion that she'd been spending more time at the lab than she had let on.

While he waited for the pizza, Booth toyed with his phone. He needed to know what had been going on. Cam's admission had been too vague for his liking, and Bones... Bones wasn't going to talk to him about it. Booth let out a deep sigh and closed his eyes. What had Cam meant by a war he was oblivious to? Hannah and Bones had liked each other, everybody had been just fine.

Bones hadn't had anything to do with the break-up. At least, not on his part. In fact, she had never come up. Their working relationship had remained cordial and professional. Bones hadn't shown any jealousy after the initial shock had worn off, and appeared to have adjusted to his rearranged priorities with all the understanding and encouragement of a supportive friend. She had been interested in Hannah's work, and even praised her on a number of occasions. Sure, he still caught himself looking at his partner and wondering _what if_. Privately, Booth had admitted to himself that he was never going to get over Temperance Brennan, but he had moved on, and sometimes you do have to settle for second best.

It was Hannah's free spirited nature clashing with his fundamental ideals that had been her downfall. Her unwillingness to take him into account when she made plans for the both of them. That, and the impending investigation into her practices of gaining hold of sensitive information without consideration of the impact it may have on others. It hadn't helped her argument either. Their relationship had been good while it was under fire, Booth decided, but it should never have been brought back to the US. He looked at his watch. Fifteen minutes at least until he could expect dinner.

Booth scrolled through his contacts and waited for the call to connect.

"_I was wondering when you were going to call."_

"Hi Angela."

"_Hi back Studly." _He could hear Angela's smile before her tone turned serious._ "Listen Booth, thank you for taking Brennan home. I've been really worried about her. She wasn't going to last much longer. Have you two talked?"_

"No Ange, she was practically comatose on the way here, and went to bed without putting up a fight."

"_This week has taken a lot out of her."_

"About that."

"_Hmmmm?"_

"What happened?"

"_I think you need to wait for Brennan to tell you what happened._"

"I know, I understand, and I will wait – forever – if I have to. But I just want an impact report. You were there, weren't you?"

"_Yes Sweetie, I was. But the entire lab could tell you what happened."_

"Angela – "

"_You want an impact report?"_

"Yeah, it's just..."

"_Just what Booth?"_

"I can't believe Brennan resorted to violence."

"_It was self-defence." _

Angela's correction just proved to confuse Booth further. Self-defence?

"How?"

There was a sigh from the other end of the phone. _"Sweetie, I'll bring the footage over tomorrow for you to review, because if nothing else, you'll see what's really been going on while your head has been stuck in the clouds."_

"My head has not been in the clouds, Angela."

"_This is where you will be proved wrong, Booth. We are all incredibly proud of the way Brennan handled herself in that situation –" _

"That sounds like a disclaimer."

Angela ignored him _"but she is incredibly upset that it came to what it did."_

"What did it come to Angela? That's all I want to know."

"_You need to talk to Brennan about that."_

"I've already said I would Ange, you're deflecting." Booth leaned back in the seat. "Cam said Bones won."

"_She did. In every sense of the word." _He could hear Angela hesitate for a second_. "Booth, Hannah played dirty, really dirty. And while Brennan was the bigger person in the confrontation, some things were thrown at her that have cut her to the quick. She really needs you."_

"Then why has she been ignoring me?"

"_You know the answer to that. She's a proud, independent woman... Look, you'll understand when you see the footage. You're at Brennan's, right?"_

"Yes, I'm sleeping on the couch. I couldn't just leave her alone."

"_Good man. I'll be along in the morning. You can make up your mind about your feisty journalist then."_

"Thanks Ange,"

"_And Booth? Brennan loves you. It's out in the open now. If you hurt her more than you already have, Max is not the only person you need to watch out for."_

"Sounds like everybody knows but me. And I understand you completely. I will continue to try to not hurt her, I promise."

"_I believe you. Good night Booth."_

"Good night Ange." Booth shut his phone and exhaled slowly.

That conversation left him more confused. The knock on the door brought Booth out of his reverie long enough to get his pizza, retrieve a beer and some napkins, and resettle himself in front of her new TV.

His contemplation of a slice of cheese and pepperoni pizza did nothing to answer the questions in his head. Angela was proposing that the quiet, relatively stable life he'd been living for the past few months was a lie. He could not possibly be that far off his game. He could read people. That was his _thing_. And he had seen nothing out of the ordinary in either Hannah or Bones. Angela and Cam, maybe, but not Hannah, and definitely not Bones.

Suddenly he was struck by the odd thought that maybe he didn't really know Bones that well. She had changed. He was basing her reactions to his having a girlfriend on previous experiences. She had needled him constantly when he was with Tessa, and she was preoccupied with... other things when he was with Cam. But their relationship had changed. He revealed his feelings and Bones had an entire year to think about it. What if she had realised that she loved him? Apparently that was now a moot point, but what if she was just pretending to be alright with everything to make him happy? The sinking feeling in his gut made him sit up straighter. _That_ would explain the looks from Angela and Cam... and Hodgins and Sweets for that matter. _Damn_.

He could only begin to imagine what Hannah could have said then. The whole concept of a showdown in the lab was still unthinkable to Booth. What happened? He was not going to get any sleep, Booth knew that. The thing that really bugged him the most was that this... fight had been kept from him. Why had nobody told him? Respect for Bones? Sure... but letting Bones exhaust herself was not in her best interests. And there was a tape? None of this made sense.

Distractedly, Booth realised that he had finished his pizza, the answer to this mystery no closer to being solved than when he started eating. He put the TV on to catch the end of the baseball as he tidied up the lounge. The soft background noise was comforting, and Booth found that he actually felt lonely. Wondering where that emotion had come from, he quietly checked on Brennan, who hadn't moved. He made sure there was a glass of water next to the bed for her, and closed the door behind him.

Booth found that the game didn't catch his attention as he tried to make himself comfortable on the couch. His mind kept going over the possible arguments that Hannah and Bones could have had. Praying that this fabled tape would hold the answers to his many, many questions, Booth surprised himself by falling into a fitful sleep. The morning couldn't come soon enough.

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**So. What do you think? I have the argument drafted, but I'd be really interested to see what you, gentle readers, have hypothesized.**

**More soon. **

**xox ~CF**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Goodness I am nervous about this chapter! Thanks so much for the alerts and reviews. You raised the already high standard even higher... I do feel sorry for Hannah Burley, and I have really been wondering how to write her. From the brief lines we've seen in the Season 6 sides, I hope I've managed to get what could possibly be a more vindictive side to Hannah. Anyway. Here goes. Feel free to write other versions if you like, but please, no flames.**

**I own nothing.**

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_Life is like a mean machine_

_It made a mess outta me_

_It left me caught between_

_Like an angry dream I was stranded_

_I was stranded_

_And I'm steady but I'm starting to shake_

_And I don't know how much more I can take_

_This is how a heart breaks – Rob Thomas_

A light knock on the door pulled Booth out of his contemplation of the ceiling. He checked his watch. 9:30. Angela. He groaned as he sat up. His eyes felt gritty and his head was pounding. He really hadn't slept well. He gave Angela a bleary half-wave as he opened the door for her. She smiled sympathetically as she swept into the room and put her laptop on the counter and began to set it up as he closed the door and leaned against the surface with a sigh.

"Tough night?"

"Didn't sleep."

"Fair enough. I'm sure the suspense was killing you."

"You can cut me some slack Ange. I've been trying to figure out what I may have missed." He watched as she fished some headphones out of her bag and connected them to the laptop.

"Come to any conclusions?"

"Nothing but conjecture at the moment."

Angela's grin turned wry. "Hopefully we can do something turn that conjecture into proof." She watched his face darken. "I take it your hypothetical scenarios weren't all that optimistic."

"Ange –"

Angela reached over and squeezed his hand. "Booth, what you are going to see is the straw the broke the camel's back. You may not even get half of what was going on. Even those of us there missed most of it. It was the look in Bren's eyes..." she trailed off and bit her lip. "Is she awake?"

"No. I heard her walking around earlier, but she went back to bed. I checked about an hour ago – she'd fallen back asleep. I've never seen her so tired."

"You'll understand why soon. Sweetie," Angela made sure she could see Booth's eyes before she continued, "you will have questions afterwards. Try to contain that anger until I've answered them."

"You think I'm going to take it that badly?"

Angela put the headphones on Booth's head and adjusted the fit. "There are reasons why we didn't call you sooner. And this is so that Bren doesn't wake up to the recording. I don't want her to go through that again.

The aftermath was bad enough."

Booth set is jaw and slid into the seat in front of the laptop. "Where will you be?"

"I'll be checking on Bren. The footage will stop automatically at the end." She watched him nod. "And Booth?" He looked at her. "I'm sorry."

Booth watched Angela walk away and disappear down the hall before returning his attention to the screen in front of him. Here it was, the moment of truth. He prayed that it would answer his questions, and steeling himself, he pressed play. He was surprised to see it was in colour, with sound. He couldn't make out expressions, but he could identify the people on the screen. Bones was on the platform, the timestamp in the corner placed the scene at 9 on Monday morning. Right after Hannah had left. Maybe Bones was a factor in the break-up after all. Booth felt his chest tighten at the thought. He began to pay attention when a familiar figure stormed onto the screen.

"_Dr Brennan!"_

_Hannah stands, hands on hips and waits for Brennan to put down her file and leave the platform before continuing._

"_He's yours."_

Even on the recording he could sense Bones' confusion at the statement. Booth was surprised at the venom in Hannah's voice.

"_Pardon?"_

"_Seeley and I broke up." _

Booth noticed how the noise in the lab seemed to stop when Hannah made her announcement.

"_I'm sorry."_

"_Like hell you are."_

"_I don't know what that means." Brennan folds her arms across her chest. She seems taken aback by Hannah's attitude._

"_No. You don't, do you? But then someone as emotionally stunted as you are wouldn't have a clue."_

Booth couldn't quite believe what he was hearing.

"_I'm sorry Ms. Burley, I don't see how my history has anything to do with your break-up." Brennan replies stiffly._

"_I've read your file –" _

Booth could hear the smirk in Hannah's voice and the horror of the revelation dawned on him, matched only by the disbelief in Brennan's reaction.

"_That's restricted!"_

"_I have my contacts," Hannah pauses. "It was an... interesting read, Joy." She moves closer to Brennan, who holds her ground. "You're broken. You'll never have his love – only his pity. You're incapable of giving and receiving love, and you ruined everything for me."_

Booth felt the blood drain from his face.

"_How?"_

"_You can't be that stupid, you scheming –"_

_Brennan turns, cutting Hannah off. "I'm not going to listen to you vent. I am truly sorry that things didn't work out, but now I have work to do."_

"_Don't you walk away from me when I'm talk to you!"_

_Brennan stops and turns. She appears to be considering something before she speaking. "I beg to differ. The increase in volume during your tirade means that what you are doing can no longer be defined as talking."_

Booth noted uncomfortably that Bones' seeming indifference only served to anger Hannah further. He could tell, even from this recording, that Bones was upset but hiding it all. He could see the cracks, but he knew others wouldn't. He became filled with dread.

"_You are a robot! No wonder you have nobody! Just remember – he will never love you. He never has and he never will. You are an obligation that he is required to protect and he pities you, but Seeley doesn't love you."_

"_That's not true." It is said quietly but with conviction._

"_Isn't it? Can you even discern between pity and concern and love?" Hannah is trying her best to provoke a reaction._

_Brennan assesses Hannah's anger before she answers. "Because he told me." _

"_And you believed him? Oh you are gullible."_

Booth realised he was clenching his fists. He began to wonder exactly who the woman was he had been sharing his bed with.

_Brennan chooses not to rise to Hannah's bait and turns to walk away again. Hannah's not having any of it._

"_Running away? That's what you do best, isn't it?" Hannah moves to grab Brennan's shoulder. Brennan instinctively dodges and moves round to face Hannah impassively._

"_Don't touch me."_

Booth knows that tone.

"_Try stop me."_

He knows that tone too.

_Brennan looks at Hannah in disbelief. "Maybe you should step back and reflect logically on the situation."_

_Hannah laughs. "You'd like that, wouldn't you? What's the matter, afraid I'm going to hurt you?"_

_Brennan pulls herself straight and puts a little iron in her voice. "Ms Burley, playground taunts have no effect on me and my ability to protect myself. It is clear that your current emotional upheaval has left you feeling irrational. I do not want you to do something you regret, so I will have security escort you from the lab."_

_As Brennan goes to pass Hannah, all the while looking to signal a security guard, the reporter takes a swing at her. In a blur, Brennan drops her shoulder, catches Hannah's arm and twists, flipping the woman over so that she lands, face first, with a sickening crack on the tiled floor. Brennan has Hannah's arm pressed at an uncomfortable angle between her shoulder blades, and Brennan's left knee pushes down on the small of the prone woman's back. Brennan lets go and stands._

Booth gapes at the screen. In all his scenarios, this had never happened.

_In the shocked silence that follows, Brennan's quiet voice is heard clearly._

"_I am sorry for your loss, and it pains me that I had to do that. Out of love for Booth and the desire for him to be happy, I have endured your barbs, but I will not accept your degradation of his integrity and character. And you are wrong. I do know how to give and receive love. You are the one I pity. Good-bye Ms Burley."_

_Brennan motions to the two security guards that appear to be hovering in the corner of the screen and they rush over to Hannah as Brennan walks off in the direction of her office and all hell breaks loose._

Booth blinked in shock at the image of his stunned ex-girlfriend being helped to a sitting position, blood streaming out her nose, and looking dazed. He had been so intent on the argument that he had not seen the crowd that had formed on the periphery of the video. He watched as Cam and Angela looked at each other before Cam started shooing people away and grabbing the few who had their phone cameras out in the newly erupted din. Angela moved towards Brennan's office, and Hodgins pulled out his phone, walking off camera as he made a call. In the middle of it all sat Hannah, a look of utter disbelief on her face. The scene stayed like that for a few more seconds before the recording stopped. Booth pulled off the headphones and laid them on the counter, the sound loud in stunned aftermath of watching the footage. He just sat and stared at the offending screen and tried to compute what he had just seen.

What seemed like a few minutes later, he heard Angela close Brennan's bedroom door and pad back into the lounge, taking a seat in one of the chairs and turning to watch him. He felt his jaw tighten some more.

"She's not going to be awake for a while." Angela took in Booth's rigid posture and clenched fists, and was again relieved that they hadn't called him in on Monday. She frowned at his lack of response. "Booth. Come here."

Booth contemplated the order for a couple of seconds before moving to sit opposite her. He couldn't bring himself to meet Angela's eyes. "What happened afterwards?

Angela watched Booth carefully as she answered. "Cam spent the rest of the morning reminding people that if any recordings found their way out of the lab, they'd be without a job and with several lawsuits against them. I really didn't envy her that task..."

"And Hodgins?"

"Jack... Jack called Sweets."

"Sweets knew about this?"

"Yes. He is Bren's psychologist, and it was an emergency."

"And I wasn't."

"No." Angela was blunt. "Not then." She saw the hurt in Booth's expression and sighed. "Booth, sweetie, listen to me. I would love to have called you, but all things considered, it was decided that some things needed to be confirmed first."

"Like what, Angela"

"Like if you were involved in Hannah's ability to gain access to Bren's case files."

"Angela! No. I can't even access them. What makes you think –"

"We know that now." Angela cut him off. "If it makes you feel any better, Bren said the same thing. But she was so distraught. That confrontation took everything out of her. We decided that she be given space and time to regain some level of control before she had to deal with you."

"Deal with me? Who is this we?" Booth's tone took a dangerous edge to it.

"Specifically, Jack and Sweets. Although Cam and I had a significant amount of influence."

"Hodgins and Sweets."

"Jack is very protective of Bren, which is hardly surprising, and funnily enough, so is Sweets. You're not the only one who gets personally affronted when somebody hurts her. We love her too. Cam and I have made sure that she's had somebody with her at – "

"She slept at the lab." It wasn't a question.

Angela didn't bat an eyelid. "She has been, or at our place. Brennan hasn't been here in weeks. And she shouldn't be alone."

"No. She shouldn't." Booth mulled things over. He was still furious at being left out the loop for so long. But there was one last question. "And Hannah?"

"Was lucky Bren decided not to press charges."

"Press charges?" Booth didn't see that one coming either.

"For harassment and attempted assault. Hannah knows she'd be found guilty. We haven't seen or heard from her since."

"Wow Ange." Booth ran a hand over his face. "That's a lot to take in."

"I know. Yet another reason why we didn't call you. You'd just broken up with your girlfriend. Bren wasn't the only one who needed space." Angela leaned forward. "Booth. Go home, have a shower, you need to think about what you've just seen. I'll stay with Bren until you come back, because I know you'll come back. Okay?"

Booth dropped his head and sighed. "Good idea Ange. Thanks." He stood and grabbed his jacket. "If she wakes up while I'm gone..."

"'She understands Booth, better than you realise." Angela didn't move as she watched Booth quietly close the front door. Leaning back, she sighed. "Better than you can even imagine."

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**So? What did you think? Too anticlimactic? I could just leave it here... but I won't, if you want a dénouement, you shall get one. **

**Feedback is always appreciated. Especially for a nerve-racking piece like this.**

**Pretty please? The final chapter will be up in the next week.**

**xox - CF**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hello all, sorry about the delay. Real Life interrupts. I bring you part four and the conclusion of this story. I'll just say from the outset that I'm not that happy with this chapter. It does what I want it to do, but I'm not sure if it does it well. If I kept fussing, you'd never have had the opportunity to read it, and that would have just sold everybody short, no? **

**So without further ado, enjoy. I've had fun writing this and your feedback has been great. Thank you all for your great comments and ideas, you all are awesome. Just to show how awesome you all are, I suggest watching TJ Thyne's short film "Validation" on YouTube. It is really well done.**

**I own nothing!

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_There's always the question what's holding me down_

_Show me an answer cause I haven't found_

_A way to escape to get out of it all_

_Somewhere that I am allowed to fall_

_With no bones to break I can be who I am_

_Cause you know me better than anyone_

_When you and I touch hands_

_When you and I stop_

_Still in the moment it's you and I_

_Not running for something that's already gone_

_When it's just you and I_

_That's when I'm home._

_You and I - Garou_

Booth closed the door and leaned against it. His place felt empty. It was empty. Moving towards the living room, he examined everything closely as he tried to organise his thoughts. His eyes came to rest on a photo frame lying face down on a table. He didn't do that. He moved across the room and picked it up, flipping it over to see its contents. Suddenly he understood its position. Smiling up at him was the group photo of him, Bones and the Squints from the Anouk gala. That night. Booth righted its position on the table, proudly displaying the memory and looked around the room again. Wondering what really had been going on for the last six months Booth headed off to have a shower. He needed to think.

The water did nothing to ease his tense muscles as Booth thought back to the next fateful night in front of the Hoover. In the video she had admitted her love for him. She would have known that it would have got back to him. Trying to remember when he had last declared his feelings, Booth realised that he'd never actually told her he loved her, properly. That elephant had followed him around for months. Bones hadn't rejected his love. He had just said the wrong thing. He had messed up. Seriously. And he had reverted to type. A ladies man, with a penchant for long legs and blonde hair. No wonder the squints had been so cool towards him.

Well it was out now, Bones loved him. And it clearly wasn't in "an atta boy kind of way". They had hurt each other badly in the last 14 months. Distance and a relationship had not changed a damn thing about his feelings. And he hadn't really paid attention to Bones since they got back. He was trying so hard to prove that he had moved on and things were a-ok. Was he the only person to have missed the fact that it wasn't?

Pulling a t-shirt over his head, he sighed. It seemed that way. The squints were clear where their loyalties lay. Even Cam. Parker had been nervous about Hannah – Rebecca had told him to think very carefully about "that woman" and their son... and Caroline made no bones about what she had thought of Hannah.

And Bones. She just waited. She had wanted him to be happy. He thought of the paper men he had burnt for her – the wishes he had made. Had she wished the same for him? He pulled out an old tobacco tin from his cupboard and lifted the lid. There were still three paper men there. He took one and pocketed it. Checking his watch, he looked around the room one more time and left.

B&B&B&B&B

Booth closed the door quietly and hung up his jacket, the sounds of Angela in the kitchen took him there first. She had just finished pouring hot water through an infuser and was waiting for the tea to steep. He watched quietly as she finished her task, yet Angela broke the silence first.

"She's not quite awake yet, I was just making her some tea."

"Thanks Ange."

Angela looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "For what? I've invested too much time into this for you guys to fall apart now."

"Ah..." Booth wasn't quite sure how to respond to Angela's frank declaration.

Angela saw him flounder and extrapolated. "Look Booth, I know this dance of yours has been painful for all involved. Just don't screw things up more than you already have."

"Thanks Ange." He felt as defeated as he sounded.

"Bren needs to rest. If you upset her..." Angela didn't need to finish her threat, Booth understood.

"I won't."

"Good." She smiled brightly and moved to pack up her laptop. "My work here is done. Hope you've come to some conclusions, Booth."

"I have."

Angela studied him for a few moments. His short answers worried her slightly, but she could see that he had much to still think about, and somebody very important to talk to. "Okay then Studly, take Bren her tea. I'll see you on Monday." She gave him an encouraging smile, and left.

Booth stared at the front door for a few moments. He thought about the unspoken threat in Angela's warning, and how invested she felt she was in their... whatever he and Bones had. It was beginning to dawn on him just how many people had been involved in this 'dance' Angela had described. It should have simply been just the two of them, but that was never going to be the case, was it? He sighed again, and turned back to the kitchen to get Brennan's tea. Chamomile, he identified the aroma wafting up from the pot. He poured a cup and with a deep breath he walked toward _her_ room.

Booth stood in Brennan's doorway and took in her form before he was able to push himself into action. Brennan was still sleeping, it didn't look like she had moved much since he had last checked on her. He put the teacup on her bedside table and padded across the floor to the reading chair on the other side of her room and settled down to watch her sleep. Booth had missed watching Bones sleep. It was always a highlight of their undercover assignments, she looked so peaceful and relaxed, and Booth found it soothing, especially if he was feeling anxious for any reason.

Booth's contemplations were broken when Brennan stirred slightly and lay still for a moment before looking directly at him. Booth found his stomach knotting slightly again. She gave him a small smile.

"You're still here."

"Yes. Ange was too for a bit, she just left."

She bit her lip and broke eye contact. "You saw it then."

Booth nodded.

"I'm sorry." It was quiet, and Booth was taken aback by her apology.

"What are you sorry for, Bones? You did nothing wrong."

"I tried so hard to be happy for you." The tears in her eyes knocked the wind out of him.

"I know you did. I'm sorry for not seeing the warning signs."

"That is not your fault Booth. You needed to move on." Brennan moved her gaze to the ceiling.

"That's the thing – I haven't been able to." It was out there now. And he still felt like hell.

"Oh." Booth couldn't read her face because she refused to look at him.

"I'm the one who should be apologising for putting you through this."

Brennan sat up and looked hard at him. "You couldn't have known."

"But I should have."

"And what would you have done?" Brennan pressed. "You were in a very involved relationship, I never intended to disrupt your life."

"Bones, you disrupted my life seven years ago, and I would never have changed a thing since. I never thought you a factor in my break-up with Hannah, but after that tape and thinking about it..." he trailed off, trying to find a way to put everything into words.

"It was my fault." Brennan tried to supply him with an answer.

"No Bones, it was mine. I just couldn't process everything fast enough."

Brennan sat and watched Booth examine the floor for a few moments, considering his _mea culpa_ plea. Coming to a conclusion, she spoke quietly. "So now what?"

"I don't know." This time, she picked up the defeat and despair in his voice.

Brennan reached for her tea, and swirled it around. "Take your time Booth, I'm not going anywhere." She knew it was a gamble, but recent events had proved to her that she wasn't just a scientist. She'd bet on him before, why not now?

"What did you say Bones?" Booth felt like his head was spinning, he looked at her with wide eyes.

"You waited for me for years, it's time I repaid the favour. You need time to sort things out." She met his gaze calmly.

Booth wasn't sure what surprised him more, the admission, acknowledgement or level gaze. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"I missed you Booth." Brennan said simply. "More than I anticipated. I would like to revisit a conversation we had before we left... but only when we're both ready."

He nodded slowly. "You sure Bones?"

"Booth, I didn't endure public humiliation on Monday for nothing."

"No, you kicked butt." He offered her a grin.

"I never intended to." Brennan was still feeling defensive.

"Look, I understand. It was a little bit of a shock, but, like the squint squad, I am proud of you." Booth tried to head off all the self-doubt before it cemented itself in Brennan's mind.

"Thanks Booth." It was still bothering her.

"And she was wrong, you know that?" Booth tried to hold Brennan's gaze. "I have never pitied you, and you have never been an obligation."

"That's what I told her."

"I heard. And Bones? I do love you. Nothing is going to change that."

Brennan gave him a small smile and sat back against her pillows. Booth wanted dearly to sit next to her, but he didn't feel the time was right. Also, he couldn't decipher that smile.

"What?"

"That's the first time I've heard you say it without a qualification." Brennan took a sip of her tea.

He blinked, she was right. Then he remembered the video. "You did admit you loved me first."'

"I did."

"So... Time?"

"Yes Booth."

"I think we can do that."

"I know we can." Brennan found herself yawning.

"You still tired?" Booth leaned forward in the chair, concerned at how exhausted she must be.

"Yes, but I believe I've slept an sufficient amount."

He could see she was planning to get up. "No Bones, you're going to rest."

"But Booth..."

"Just humour me Bones. You may have given me time and a lot of think about, but that's not going to stop me from trying to look after you."

"I don't need looking after." He watched her eyes narrow slightly.

"So what have the squints been doing for the past week or more?" He challenged gently.

"Oh."

"Exactly. Now it's my turn." Booth stood and crossed the room. "You just rest up Bones, I'm going to make you breakfast."

He took her empty cup from her hands, but was stopped when Brennan put a hand over his. Meeting her eyes, Booth didn't quite recognise the expression they held. She smiled and the knot in his stomach undid itself.

"Thanks Booth." She still hadn't let go of his hand.

"My pleasure Bones."

_Fin_

**

* * *

And that's that. Thank you all for reading. It's been a pleasure to write this for you. There have been calls for me to continue this past a 4-parter. If anybody does wish to take up the story from where I've finished and run with it, PM me and we'll talk.**

**Until next time, happy reading, and bring on Sept 23!**

**xox ~CF**


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